Nearly half of women aged 40 and over who are living with a partner have no pension of their own, new research shows.

The Prudential survey suggested that many couples in the UK are “sleep-walking into retirement poverty” as they have no idea how much cash they will need to live on.

Prudential found that 46% of women aged 40 plus who lived with a partner face relying on their other half’s pension as they did not have one of their own.

Vince Smith-Hughes, head of business development at Prudential, said: “Women who think they can rely on their other half’s pension income without having discussed retirement plans with their partner - and preferably with a financial adviser too - could find themselves in financial trouble, especially if they outlive their loved one.

“Sitting down together and working out jointly what you will need to live on is an important part of making the right provision for the future.

“People may feel they can’t afford to significantly boost their retirement savings in the current financial climate, but taking even the smallest of steps can have a positive impact.

“Joining a workplace pension scheme, considering a joint life annuity, so the income will continue after one partner dies, and topping up National Insurance contributions, are all options which can increase income in retirement.”

More than half (56%) of couples aged over 40 have not worked out how much money they will need to live on in retirement, with two in five admitting to having no financial plans in place for life after work.

One in five couples said they had never discussed joint retirement financial planning, while only half of those who have already retired made a joint decision about the annuity they bought.